


today and forever

by tkreyesevandiaz



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Christopher's Dads, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Haircuts, Love Confessions, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Sexual Tension, Slight Canon Divergence, Soft Eddie Diaz, Soft Evan "Buck" Buckley, Subtle flirting, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unresolved Sexual Tension, domestic buddie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21517282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkreyesevandiaz/pseuds/tkreyesevandiaz
Summary: Just domestic fluff of our boys getting haircuts ;)
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 85
Kudos: 592





	today and forever

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! I'm back with another fic. This one definitely got away from me, it started out under 1000 words and it ended up being over 6000 words. 
> 
> I'd been toying with this idea for a while and finally got to do it with the 911 fandom! I'm super happy at the way this turned out, and I hope you all enjoy it too!
> 
> As always, thank you to the wonderful @ariquitecontrary for looking over my work! 
> 
> I think I spent more time thinking of a summary for this fic than I did writing the entire thing xD ;)

Christopher’s request came just as Eddie was preparing to leave for his shift.

“Dad, I think I need a haircut,” Christopher piped up from his perch on the couch. Eddie ran his fingers through his son’s unruly hair, fluffing the already messy curls and decided that he was right.

“You’re right, buddy. I think both of us need one.” He finger-combed his own hair, feeling like it did need to be cut. Chris reached up to do the same to his dad’s hair, pulling a laugh from both of them. “Tell you what, we can do it tonight, after I get back from my shift.”

“Can Buck join us?” Eddie was taken aback by his son’s very specific question. It wasn’t uncommon for Chris to want Buck to join them for their daily activities, but they usually revolved around him joining them for meals or a trip to the park, not a grooming appointment. Not that Eddie was opposed at all to Buck joining them.

He really was only panicking about how _normal_ it felt for him and Buck, how much he wanted Buck to join their family officially.

Chris must’ve taken his father’s lack of a reply as a negative, because his face began to fall. Hating that crestfallen look on his adorable face, Eddie hastily agreed, bringing back that beaming smile.

“I’ll ask him okay? I can’t promise he’ll come.”

“Don’t tell him we’re cutting hair today. I want it to be a surprise.” Eddie laughed at Chris’s antics, ignoring the fact that Chris already seemed to know that Buck would say yes. He tugged lightly at a loose curl on Chris’s head before ruffling his hair and bending down to press a kiss to his head just as the bell rang.

Inhaling his son’s specific scent to ease the apprehension and guilt he always felt when he left Chris with anyone other than Buck, Eddie straightened up to let Carla in.

“Good morning!” Eddie smiled and hugged Carla before he caught sight of the time. Quickly bidding goodbye to Carla and Chris, Eddie hightailed it out of there, not wanting to be late.

The entire drive to the station, all he could think about was how Christopher was so eager to include _his_ Buck in everything they did. He hadn’t done it with anyone else, not even his mother, and to be perfectly honest, it scared the shit out of him. While he didn’t mind Chris thinking of Buck as another parent, he didn’t think it was fair to put that on his best friend without him actually wanting it.

That wasn’t to say that Buck didn’t love Christopher, because Buck had lost his heart to his son the minute he met him, and Eddie had lost his heart to Buck the second he saw his boys together. But loving a child, and being a parental figure were two separate things, even if they overlapped a lot. 

Eddie, as a parent, couldn’t encourage his son to see his best friend as a co-parent. Eddie, on his own, wanted Buck to stand beside him through everything. He just didn’t know how to say it.

Shaking off the thoughts, Eddie parked and walked into the firehouse, his gaze immediately catching Buck leaning against the banister. 

For a quick second, he just stood there, admiring Buck’s lean form as he scrolled through his phone, oblivious to Eddie standing there.

The whip of a towel against his ass had Eddie jumping nearly ten feet into the air. He scowled at Hen, who was now laughing at Eddie’s reaction.

“You two just need to screw each other’s brains out so you can _stop eye-fucking so much._ ” Thankfully, she kept her voice low, but the flush creeping up his face was definitely not subtle. Buck caught sight of the commotion and waved eagerly at Eddie, a huge grin taking up his face. 

“That boy hasn’t smiled at all today, and suddenly you walk in, and he’s happy-go-lucky again.” Eddie snorted, finding it impossible that _Buck_ wouldn’t have smiled, especially around the 118. Rolling his eyes at her quip, Eddie waved back and walked around Hen to get to the locker room.

Opening his locker, Eddie paused with his hand on the door, just looking at the pictures that decorated the bleak slate metal. He did this a lot when he felt particularly anxious; come into the locker room just to look at the pictures in there. They were all from the previous few months, and most of them had Buck’s face smiling up at him along with Christopher’s. 

The photo in the center was one of his favourites. It was a candid taken by someone at an amusement park Buck and Eddie had taken Chris to. The three of them were frozen in a laugh and Chris had been pinching Eddie’s cheek, a new thing he’d picked up from some cartoon he watched. But Buck had been looking at Eddie with _something_ in his gaze, something Eddie was afraid to hope for, but spent every _goddamn_ minute of his life wishing for. 

It had been one of the best days of his life. His best friend was by his side and his son was over-the-moon, far happier than Eddie had seen him in a long time.

“It was a great day.” Eddie flinched at Buck’s voice behind him, the soft smile dropping from his face in place of a startled look. Eddie sucked in a breath and pulled his uniform out, going through the motions of pulling his Henley off and dragging the LAFD T-shirt on.

“It really was. Chris was so happy that day, and I’ve never seen you that happy either. That childish glee suits you.” Eddie smiled at the photo again as he shut his locker. Turning towards his best friend, Eddie started to fasten the buttons on his uniform shirt.

“And you?” Buck asked quietly. Eddie’s fingers froze on his shirt as he stared at Buck, mouth hanging open. Buck’s expression was shuttered but his eyes roamed all over Eddie’s face, searching for a clue.

No one had ever asked him if he’d been happy before.

“I was on top of the world.” Eddie managed to choke out the genuine sentence, clearing his throat. “I had my son and my best friend with me, and we were having the time of our lives. I don’t need anything else, never did.”

Buck seemed satisfied with that answer. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Eddie cut him off.

“What are you doing tonight?” Eddie asked abruptly, knowing that if he didn’t ask now, he would either never get around to it (and then have to tell Christopher he didn’t ask, which he absolutely did not want to do) or he’d be distracted by the prospect all day.

Eddie didn’t even know why he was so apprehensive about inviting Buck over. The man practically lived with them, and damn if that thought didn’t send a bolt of energy through Eddie. He probably managed to overthink the entire deal in the car ride to the firehouse.

“Nothing, why?” Buck shifted on his feet, leaning against the door frame, not at all surprised by the change in topic.

“Chris and I are doing something I’ve been sworn to secrecy not to tell you about, and we want you to join us.” His heart pounded in his chest as he held his breath, waiting for his partner’s reply.

A wide smile spread across Buck’s face, and he looked like he was two seconds from bouncing off the walls. Eddie pushed down the glee that came with him having to do with putting that look on Buck’s face.

“I haven’t seen my little man in so long! I’d love to,” Buck said. “Are we hanging out at your place?”

_Our place._

“You saw him two days ago,” Eddie reminded him. True to his nature, Buck waved him off. Eddie rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, we’ll be at home. You’re in for a treat.” 

Eddie grinned as he thought over the last few times Chris and Eddie had cut their hair at home. It was one of their favorite things to do together, even if they only usually did it once a month (or every two months). Even if took Eddie a couple of tries to get it right so the both of them wouldn’t look like idiots.

“It seems like I always am when it comes to you two,” Buck laughed, pushing off the door-frame and giving Eddie a thumbs-up. “I’ll be there, after this shift or later?” 

“After our shift is fine.” Eddie and Buck quickly made the plan and as the alarm went off, Eddie felt that ball of nervousness in his chest unravel.

He was definitely a goner, but maybe (just _maybe_ ), he wouldn’t have to say anything at all.

* * *

Buck got to Eddie’s house a few minutes after Eddie himself, having stopped on the way to pick up beer, soda and pizza for the three of them. As he knocked on the door, arms juggling precious cargo, he smiled as he heard the furious clacking of Christopher’s crutches on the floor as the boy made his way to the door. 

“Hi Christopher!” Buck knew that Eddie didn’t let Christopher open doors for people he didn’t know, and since Chris couldn’t reach the peephole, Buck resorted to verbally letting the boy know that it was him so he could open the door. He heard the kid repeat the words to his father and smiled at Christopher obediently following his father’s rules.

Eddie honestly was such a careful and loving parent, that it sent a pang through Buck sometimes, when the memories and nightmares of his own father got to be too much. And Chris always met him halfway, not troubling his father’s protective rules or being difficult about them.

The door swung open to reveal an eight year old who looked far too hyper for anyone’s good. Eddie alleviated a few of the boxes he was holding enough that he could see him clearly now. 

“The second I hear Christopher practically sprint to the door, I just know it’s going to be you,” Eddie laughed, a deep and husky sound that went straight to Buck’s head. He beamed at the words, smiling down at Chris who was waiting eagerly for his hug-of-the-day.

It had been Christopher’s idea. He hugged his father the first time he would see him for a particular day, because hugs made him feel safe and protected. Now he demanded the same from Buck, whenever they saw each other.

Somehow, Buck had been included in that prestigious list of people that Chris felt safe with, and Buck was trying his best to respect that honor.

It was just the right kind of pressure, and he would move mountains for both the boys in front of him. 

Setting the remaining boxes down on the entryway table with the rest of them, Buck grabbed Chris in a bear hug, swinging him around as carefully as he could. Christopher threw his head back and laughed, scrambling to hold onto Buck’s shoulders. 

Swinging the boy onto his back, Buck looked at Chris over his shoulder, adjusting his feet and crutches. “Your dad said you had a surprise for me.”

“Dad’s going to cut our hair!” Buck whipped around to look at Eddie who was staring at them softly, a tender look on his face. It squeezed Buck’s heart and made him feel like mush.

“Is there anything your dad can’t do?” Buck locked eyes with Eddie as he posed the question to the child perched on his back. A very cute red tint kissed Eddie’s skin, though his friend tried to play it off by rolling his eyes.

“He can’t sing,” Christopher said matter-of-factually after mulling over the question for a quick second. The answer was so absurd that Buck couldn’t help but bark out a laugh, wheezing at the floundered expression on Eddie’s face.

“Christopher!” Eddie exclaimed, coming to stand by the two of them.

“Sorry Dad, I had to say it. I can't lie to Buck.” Buck couldn’t see him, but he felt the kid’s arms move as he shrugged at his father, which only had him laughing harder.

“Yeah Eddie, don’t teach him to lie to me.” Buck teased his friend, nudging him with his elbow.

“Come here you.” Eddie grabbed Christopher from Buck and started tickling him, blowing raspberries on his face. Christopher giggled, pure joy lighting up the boy’s face.

Now it was Buck’s turn to smile tenderly at the picture father and son made. Suddenly he was hit with _longing_. He wanted that for himself. He wanted to come home to someone whose face lit up with joy just by seeing him, someone who felt the same joy he did when he looked at…

Eddie and Christopher. 

He wanted to come home to _them_.

* * *

Eddie lightly touched Buck on the shoulder, who was still staring at the same spot Eddie and Christopher had been playing around just moments prior.

“Buck?”

Buck snapped out of whatever he’d been thinking about, which was clearly something heavy, because the smile that came to his face as he looked at Eddie was a little forced around the edges.

“Are you okay?” Eddie asked, concerned.

In truth, Eddie knew what Buck had been thinking about. From the bits and pieces he’d picked up from Buck’s lack of sharing when it came to his parents, and from the little bit of information he’d picked up from Maddie, neither of the two siblings had a normal childhood. Maddie had tried to make it as easy for Buck as possible, but her own struggles with her ex-husband had led to a gap between Buck and his sister.

He’d often caught that fond look on his friend’s face whenever there was a get-together. All the mini families in the bigger circle definitely made Buck feel inferior as the only person without anyone to go home to. Maddie had Chimney, Athena and Bobby had each other, Michael and the kids, Hen had Karen and Denny, and Eddie had Christopher.

But he wanted Buck, too. He wanted Buck to just finally join their family, and if it had been up to him, Evan Buckley would’ve probably been Evan Buckley-Diaz by now. The truth was, that it wasn’t up to him, and there were a lot of logistics to work out to take that step, even if Eddie knew in his heart that Buck was his, just as he was Buck’s. It was just his brain that couldn’t get on board with the idea of Buck being his, because he was terrified at how strongly he felt for the younger man.

“Yeah, I was just thinking. Where did Christopher go?” Eddie didn’t push, gesturing in the direction of the kitchen.

“He went to wash up for dinner. We don’t want the pizza to get cold.” Eddie pivoted, turning as if he hadn’t just been imagining marrying his best friend _and_ said best friend taking his name. 

As they finished up dinner amidst jokes, laughter, teasing and story-sharing, Christopher suddenly piped up. “Buck, Dad should cut your hair too. It’s getting longer.” Eddie choked on the sip in his mouth as he looked wide-eyed at his oblivious son. 

Just as he had in the morning to Eddie, Chris reached up to finger-comb Buck’s blond hair. Taking a closer look, it _did_ look like Buck needed a haircut, but why did Eddie have to be the one to do it? What if he ruined his friend’s looks? 

“Yeah buddy, it is. I’ll have your dad cut it tonight,” Buck declared, clearly on-board with the idea. He didn’t even look fazed about it, while Eddie had turned into a nervous mess.

“Hey bud, why don’t you get ready for me to cut your hair? I’ll quickly put all this away and come.”

“Okay! Don’t forget to bring Buck!” Chris said happily as he left the kitchen. Buck let out a throaty laugh as Eddie just shook his head at his son’s back.

“Where was I supposed to forget you anyway?” Eddie laughed along with Buck before giving him one of his infamous scolding looks.

“You know that it’s possible to say no to him, right?”

“No it isn’t,” Buck scoffed. “I’m appalled you would even think that.” Eddie narrowed his eyes at him until Buck’s shoulders slumped. “I know, but he’s right anyway, and I didn’t think you’d mind. I usually cut my own hair, so I don’t really care either way.” 

“That’s a lot of trust to put into someone. Letting them cut your hair,” Eddie teased, only half-joking. Buck leveled a look at him.

“Just like you trust me with your son, I trust you with my life. Hair is literally a minuscule thing in the grand spectrum of things. I could go to work with a bowl-cut and still be super happy because you did it.” 

As far as Eddie was concerned, that was a declaration of love. He bit his lip to prevent a giddy smile from showing on his face. “Well you can cut mine then. Saves me the acrobatic twisting.”

* * *

With that, Eddie stood to toss all the paper plates and the bottles, then turned and walked to the master bathroom, where Christopher was waiting impatiently. Buck trailed in behind him, taking in all the supplies Eddie had laid on the counter. 

There was an honest-to-God spray bottle, actual hair-cutting scissors, a comb, a trimmer and a hair dryer. Eddie had laid out taped newspaper on the floor and placed a stool down on it for him to easily move around. He also had a cape draped around Christopher to catch loose hairs.

“You could have your own salon at this point,” Buck teased, settling himself on the edge of the bathtub, right in front of Chris.

“He’s the reason I look so good all the time,” Christopher added, pride in his voice at his multi-talented dad. Eddie and Buck both fell back into laughter again, Eddie shaking his head at his son’s antics. Christopher always managed to crack both of them up, probably without even trying.

Buck found an opening to test the waters and took it. “Are you the reason he looks so good all the time?” Locking eyes with his best friend, he was relieved to find no apprehension, only plain amusement. That flush was back on his face, and Buck loved that he was the one that put it there.

“No, that’s on him too,” Christopher informed Buck with all the seriousness of an eight year old. Eddie winked as Buck chuckled.

“Okay buddy, can you lean back towards the sink for me?” Chris took off his glasses and carefully tilted backward from the stool, resting his neck against the folded towel Eddie had put over the hard edge of the sink. 

Eddie poured water over Christopher’s head, wetting the curls down before straightening him again. Running a towel quickly through his hair, Eddie took hold of the scissors and comb.

Buck watched, entranced at Eddie’s strong fingers being so gentle with his son. He combed through the tangles first, spraying water in the areas where the hair had dried too much, and took hold of the scissors, pulling a lock between two fingers and cutting a diagonal of hair off. Hair clippings fell to the floor with each snip of the scissors. The comb nestled in between Eddie’s teeth, and once Buck’s gaze locked upon it, that was all he could look at.

It took a Herculean effort to peel his eyes away from Eddie working as he and Chris chatted about everything under the sun, Eddie periodically stopping his son from wiggling too much in excitement and each time, Buck would let out a laugh that’d have the older man grinning over his task. For the most part, Christopher stayed perfectly stock still as his father cut his hair. 

Christopher’s hair didn’t take that much time, and before either of them knew it, Eddie was parked in front of Christopher, cutting the hair on the front. The problem with this was that Buck’s face was directly in level with Eddie’s lower back, and essentially, his very fine ass. Shoving his hands in his pockets, and looking away, Buck choked out replies to whatever conversation Christopher threw at him, urging his body to calm down. 

Eddie must’ve sensed the change in Buck’s strangled tone, because he turned to look at Buck, who was pointedly looking away from him. Buck caught Eddie’s teasing smirk from the periphery of his vision, and decided that he was going to give Eddie the worst haircut in the world. 

It wasn’t long before Eddie was shaking loose hair from Christopher’s head and using the hairdryer to dry off any remaining wet strands, not wanting his son to catch a cold. He quickly ran the trimmer across the back of Christopher’s neck to even out the strands and up and down the sides.

“Alright, how’s that.” Eddie spun his son around to look in the mirror, a hand on his hip and head cocked. Buck quickly took a picture of his pose; Eddie looked the full part, with the comb behind his ear, scissors tapping on his chin and thoughtful look on his face.

“Perfect as always, Dad! Thank you!” Chris wrapped his arms around his dad’s waist, the glasses he’d resettled on his face tilting slightly as he pressed his face to his dad’s stomach. Eddie sent a warm smile down at his son before setting the scissors down and wrapping his arms around him.

“You’re welcome _mi hijo_. Let’s get you ready for bed.” 

* * *

Letting out a well-timed yawn, Christopher waved goodnight to both Buck and Eddie from his bed. “Good night, Daddy. Good night Buck.”

His voice, heavy with sleep, made warmth burst in his chest. “Is this how you feel every night?” Buck gently tilted his head against Eddie’s temple, feeling far more relaxed than he had in a long while.

Eddie, as always, knew exactly what Buck was talking about. “Yeah, pretty much.” 

The two men stood in Christopher’s door, just enjoying each other’s company for a while. Something unspoken had shifted between them, probably both of them realizing that their feelings for the other were reciprocated.

“We should probably talk about us, shouldn’t we?” Buck asked quietly. Eddie nodded against his head, pulling away gently from Buck.

“Let’s talk while I cut your hair,” he whispered, walking down the hall to his room, where the master bathroom was.

Once Buck was settled on top of the stool, a larger towel draping his broad shoulders, Eddie stood back, content to just stand and look at him while he gathered his wayward thoughts into something resembling a confession. 

“Christopher asked me this morning to invite you over for this grooming of ours, and all I could think of was having you here without him having to ask me to ask you.” Eddie knew he was probably rambling. “He already knew you’d say yes to come here, and damn if that didn’t make me feel good.”

Buck stared wide-eyed at him, towel clenched tight in his fist to prevent him from reaching out to his partner.

“I don’t know where I was going with that thought, but when you said ‘your place’ this morning, the first thing to pop up in my mind was that this is _our_ place.” Eddie emphasized the words. He stepped forward to settle in between Buck’s thighs, bringing his hands up to cup his best friend’s face.

“This is scary,” he admitted. “I’m terrified of letting someone else into my heart, but this morning, I realized that I didn’t need to let you in. You’re already so integral to me that I don’t know myself without you anymore. I fell in love with you the second I saw you with Christopher, and that was that - it doesn’t need to be more complicated than that. This home is our home, and both of us are incomplete without you with us.” 

Eddie went to add onto the finishing sentence, but before he could do so, Buck stood up and suddenly, they were kissing.

The kiss was slow but meaningful, Buck’s lips moving against Eddie’s as if they belonged there. Eddie tilted his head to deepen the kiss, circling his thumbs on the apples of Buck’s cheeks. Buck’s hands had slipped into Eddie’s hair and were keeping him steady, exactly where he wanted him. Pulling away, Buck rested his forehead against Eddie’s, breathing hard.

“You asked me what I was thinking about in the entryway. It was exactly this. The domesticity of this? I want that, but I want that with you and Christopher. I want to be able to come home to my boys waiting for me with a smile and a hug and a kiss, _everyday_ , just like the rest of the 118 does. God Eds, I _need_ you and Christopher. I love you two so much.” 

This time it was Eddie’s turn to kiss Buck. And he wasn’t aiming for soft and gentle. No, this kiss was passionate, full of desire. Eddie gripped the back of Buck’s shirt, dragging his hands underneath it and raking his nails lightly on hot skin. Buck moaned slightly into his mouth and rocked forward, gripping Eddie’s jean-clad hips tight enough to bruise. The friction had him feeling hotter than before, and he canted his hips upwards to meet Buck halfway, both men letting out a hushed groan of pleasure.

“We have got to stop,” Eddie panted against Buck’s mouth, still sneaking kisses in between words. Finally gathering his self-control, he pulled away from Buck and pushed him down to sit in the stool. 

“Yeah.” Buck closed his eyes, willing his body to cool off. Eddie seemed to be doing the same thing, leaning against the cold tile.

“How did we manage to turn something as innocent as cutting hair into this?” Eddie huffed out a laugh.

“Alright, I’m ready,” Buck said, once he felt like he wasn’t going to crawl out of his skin with desire. Eddie pushed himself off the wall, draping the towel around Buck again. 

“How do you usually cut your hair?” 

“Short on the sides, longer on top.” There wasn’t an ounce of doubt in Buck’s mind about having Eddie cut his hair, but he knew the older man wanted to him to be completely sure about it. Eddie gently tilted Buck’s head backwards, much like he’d done with Christopher and poured warm water. Buck let his eyes flutter shut and relaxed into Eddie’s hold.

Eddie massaged Buck’s scalp, bleeding the day’s tension back into the draining water. By the time Eddie straightened him and towel-dried his hair off, Buck was pretty much boneless.

“Feel good?” Eddie laughed, probably at the blissed-out look on his face as Buck hummed in response. 

Setting the towel back down, Eddie picked up the scissors and comb again. Buck stared at his boyfriend, who looked so comfortable doing the domestic task.

Wait, was Eddie his boyfriend?

“Does that make you my boyfriend?” Buck dropped nonchalantly, fiddling with the towel around him as a way to keep busy.

“If you want me to be,” Eddie shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re mine, and I’m yours.” 

Buck’s heart did a full somersault complete with three backflips at that.

“Let’s just get married,” Buck quipped teasingly, actually half-serious. 

“If that’s what you want. I’m telling you, I’ll have us turned into Buckley-Diaz in no time.” Eddie sounded like he’d put a lot of thought into this. Sighing, Eddie gently straightened Buck’s head to start running his comb through Buck’s hair. “Buck, we’ve been doing literally everything a couple does for months, and I’m pretty sure we’ve set at least fifty relationship goals with everyone who keeps not-so-subtly sending us hints. By officially dating, all we’re really doing is adding the physical aspect to our relationship.”

“You’re right,” Buck mused, quirking a brow at how simple the entire ordeal boiled down to. “Wait, turn me around, I want to see you work.” Eddie complied with his wish, and Buck watched tan fingers shift through his hair, blond strands falling to the floor to mingle with Christopher’s brown ones. “The only thing I’m worried about is Christopher. It’s a lot for a kid, you know?”

Eddie stayed quiet as he worked, urging Buck to continue with a quick flick of his head. “Growing up, I watched my dad introduce a new woman to us every month, and my mother would just stand by there with a tight smile on her face. Being as young as I was, I didn’t realize what was going on, but as I got older, I realized that he’d been cheating on her forever. He was introducing potential candidates to us if him and Mom ever did get divorced. And I remember a young me thinking that my mother was going to be replaced by a lady I didn’t know.” 

“I know it’s not the same, but introducing someone new into your kid’s life, as another parent? That takes a toll on a child. I don’t want to harm Christopher, and I don’t want to hurt you by overstepping,” Buck confessed, looking Eddie in the eye. Eddie tugged disapprovingly at a blond strand of hair before going ahead and trimming it.

“It’s not the same, Evan,” Eddie chastised gently, Buck's first name fitting on Eddie's tongue as if it was meant to be spoken by him. “Christopher and I love you because you’re you. In fact, I’m pretty sure he already thinks you’re his other parent, and I am completely okay with that. You couldn’t harm Christopher if you tried, and I trust you completely, both with my son and my heart.

“Every time I leave Chris with Abuela, Pepa or Carla, I can’t help but think that he’s going to grow up to resent me for it, resent me for not taking enough time out for him. But the second I leave him with you, he’s over the moon and I’m at peace all day, knowing that my best friend has both of us and we have him.” Eddie paused in his speech to spray Buck’s head with water.

“My point is, don’t sell yourself short. The fact that you’re already thinking of all this tells me as a parent that I’m ready for you to officially take the position of a co-parent, but most importantly, it tells us that _you_ are ready to _be_ a parent.” Buck couldn’t look away from Eddie, who was speaking as if he’d rehearsed this conversation a million times in his head. A rising tide of gratitude, thankfulness and love rose inside Buck’s chest, making his skin too small for him. “There’s no doubt in my mind that if Chris calls anyone else dad, it’d be you.”

That was the last straw. Buck made a noise somewhat between a choking sound and a sob, his eyes now wet. 

Tugging the top of his hair again, Eddie tilted Buck’s head backwards, pressing a kiss to a stray tear beneath Buck’s eye. 

“Do you always spill your heart to your barber?” Eddie whispered against Buck’s skin, pulling a watery laugh out of him.

“Only the really hot ones.” Buck pressed a quick kiss to Eddie’s throat, before pulling back and looking up at him. “Now finish my hair so I can finish yours and we can sleep. I’m tired.” 

Eddie quickly stepped in between his legs again to finish trimming the top, enveloping Buck with the spicy scent of him. Far too quickly, he ran the trimmer along the sides and the nape of his neck, finishing the look. Buck looked back at his own reflection and grinned.

“Perfect.” He wasn’t lying, it was meticulously done, despite the swift speed with which Eddie wielded the comb and trimmer. Blowing the hair dryer through his hair, choosing to finger-comb it this time, Eddie beamed at him, a proud twinkle in his eye.

“I love it when your hair is tousled like that.” Buck laughed at the observation, silently filing that little piece of information away in his mind.

“Alright Diaz, it’s your turn.” Buck carefully got up, not wanting to accidentally spill the hair onto the tile.

Eddie took Buck’s place, muttering something about not calling him Diaz under his breath, which Buck studiously ignored. He warned Eddie that he wasn’t going to be as quick as Eddie was.

“It’s cool, as long as you don’t make me look like an idiot.”

“No promises there, I’ve resolved myself to giving you the worst haircut in the world, just for teasing me with that ass earlier.” Buck gripped the back of Eddie’s neck and lowered him to the sink. Eddie smirked up at him, and Buck left a quick kiss on his forehead before he turned the tap on. 

Washing all the dirt and grime away, Buck spent a few minutes just running his nails and pressing the tips of his fingers into Eddie’s scalp. Eddie let out a guttural groan as he relaxed against Buck, the deep sound reverberating in the bathroom.

“If you make those obscene noises again, we are going to have a problem.” Buck paused in his ministrations to tease his boyfriend. Eddie made another faux-exaggerated groan just to mess with him, earning a particular hard tug.

"If you pull my hair like that, we are _definitely_ going to have a problem." Buck _almost_ did it again before deciding he was too exhausted to prolong sleep. Grinning at Eddie turning to putty in his hands, Buck let that warm feeling spread through him.

“How do you want your hair?” Buck asked as he ran the towel through Eddie’s hair, feeling his boyfriend lean back against his front.

“Hmm...I’m not sure I want to keep the short look anymore. Turn me back into the Eddie you met.” His words held an inside joke in them, which had Buck barking out a laugh and then clamping his hand over his mouth so he didn’t wake Christopher.

“Hell no, that Eddie was a know-it-all.” Buck snorted, wrinkling his nose at the memory of how they met. “I can turn you into the Eddie I met while disarming a live grenade.”

Eddie let out a breathless laugh and closed his eyes. Buck leaned against the wall in front of Eddie and just looked at him for a quick second, thinking about the best way to do this. Seemingly remembering something, Eddie’s eyes snapped open and he stopped Buck from combing through his hair.

“Wait, turn me around, I want to see you work.” Eddie echoed Buck’s words from not long ago, eliciting a chuckle from the younger man. Buck turned the chair and starting running the comb through Eddie’s neglected hair.

“How did you guys start cutting your own hair?” Buck asked, as he started snipping away at Eddie’s hair. Eddie quirked a brow at the memory, gaze roaming over Buck’s pale hands in his dark hair as he spoke.

“When we lived in El Paso, my mom used to cut literally everybody’s hair, because all of us had the exact same haircut each time, pretty much. When Chris and I moved here, I realized that at one point, we’d have to get our hair cut so we wouldn’t look like hobos.” Buck laughed at that, tongue peeking out of his mouth in concentration as he misted water over Eddie’s head. Eddie wished he could move enough to take a picture.

“Anyway, I had no clue how to cut hair, and I felt awkward asking Abuela or Tia Josephine to cut our hair. So the next obvious step was a salon, and _damn_ was it expensive! I should’ve known that LA would obviously charge more for haircuts but for a single dad juggling expenses, there was no way I was dropping that money just to look decent. So Chris and I decided to just do it at home. A few YouTube videos and a couple of horrible haircuts, and the rest is history. What about you?”

“Same as you actually, I just didn’t want to drop money, and it was easier to learn to do it by myself. After a point, I just got used to it. But this has me feeling like you’re going to be the one to cut my hair for the rest of our lives.” Buck swiped his hands back and forth next to and in front of his head in a silly but cute dance. Eddie’s heart squeezed in his chest as he laughed at Buck, the implication of forever catching him off-guard in the best way possible. 

Buck brushed the comb through Eddie’s hair one last time before finishing up with the trimmer, and stepped back to admire his work. Eddie craned his neck around Buck’s body to look at his own reflection, and let an idiotic grin take over his face as he took in Buck’s handiwork. It definitely beat doing it himself.

“It’s great, _mi amor._ Thank you.” Buck still surveyed him, his eye probably catching something Eddie’s didn’t.

“Let me run the hair dryer though, your hair is still wet. Probably because it’s thicker than mine.” Buck used his fingers to dry the straight strands, letting them fall between his fingers. “I think I like you better when your hair is messy and not gelled up, too.”

Eddie laughed at that, smiling fondly at his boyfriend who was taking care not to burn him with the hot air. “Buck it’s fine, it’ll dry.”

“Yeah, but by then you will have caught a cold, and then you’ll get me and Christopher sick and I just won’t have that,” Buck insisted, not at all deterred. Eddie rolled his eyes but let Buck finish the task.

“ _Querido,_ let’s go to sleep. I promise I’m not going to get sick.” Eddie could see the exhaustion in Buck’s eyes from working a long shift. He’d been on the clock far longer than Eddie had, but had still chosen to spend time with them. Eddie gently pushed the hair dryer down and wrapped the towel up to keep the dark brown hair in the towel and not on the floor. 

He laughed when he caught sight of the newspaper, pretty much scattered in splotches of Christopher’s light brown hair, Buck’s blond hair, and his own dark brown hair.

“It’s art,” Buck declared, following Eddie’s gaze. Shaking his head, Eddie bent to pick up the taped newspaper as Buck lifted the stool upwards. Emptying the hair into the trash, he folded up the old newspaper and tossed it outside the door to put in the recycling bin.

The two men cleaned the rest of the bathroom in silence, sweeping the floor and putting away all the tools in the basket Eddie kept specifically for this. Yawning, Buck all but dragged Eddie into his room, and stumbled into bed, asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

Eddie stayed awake for just a few minutes longer than him, carding his fingers through Buck’s freshly cut hair and silently thanking whoever was listening that this man was by his side.

Today and forever, if he was lucky enough.

**Author's Note:**

> How was it? As always, please leave me kudos and comments!
> 
> There's that mention of the gif from season 3 episode 8 where Buck imitates Bobby's hairstyle from his figure-skating days, and I did not know how to describe it at all, but I hope you all understood that!
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr at [zeethebooknerd](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/zeethebooknerd) or on Twitter at [tkreyesevandiaz](https://twitter.com/tkreyesevandiaz).


End file.
